Mail-exchange device



J. 5'. GLASS. MAIL EXCHANGE DEVICE.

I Patented May 31, 1921.-

2 SHEETS SHEET L E ,GLASS. MAIL EXCHANGE'DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED FEB 4. 1919.

Patented May 31,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET?- "QioHN AIL-EXCHANG invrcn TO all'whomitmay concern." I

' 'Be "it-"known that I, JoHNIE. GLAss, a

citizen of theQUnitedStates, residing at 'Marion, in the county of Crittenden and tate of li entucky, have invented a new and useful li lail-Ex'change Device, of which the following is a specification.

*This invention is adevice of the type employed for transferringmail sacks and the like to and from moving. railway cars or trains.

One object lot the invention is to provide.

1 a device of simple construction by. means of which mail matter may be safely trans-.

ferred toor from' a moving car, andaccurate cooperation of thetramzandstatmn device assured. A further ODJGCt 1s to pro vide a simple train device which maybe ap-- plied to any'car havlng side openings. A

further object is to provide means by which the train device may be selectively supported andpositioned so that it may be adjusted to the direction of travel of the car. A further object is to provide a simple station device capable of receiving mail matter from and delivering other mail matter to a movingcar without danger of m urlng persons inthe'vicinity. A further Ob]6Ct 1s to provide a station device capable of protecting the mail matter from the weather while it is in position to be taken up by the train device.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth and claims. 7 In the accompanying draw1ngz+ Figure 1 is a top plan view illustratlngthe particularly pointed out in the invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the train device. Fig. 3 is a View of the device from. the inside of the car. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section illustrating the station device.

Referring to the drawing, 10 designates a railway track and .11 uprights stat oned contiguous to the track and connected by a cross-piece 12. Hinged to one. of the up-' rights 11, is a supporting panel 13, provided with a latch 14' positioned to engage a su1table keeper on the other upright 11. Sup ported by the panel 13 is a box-like receptacle 15 divided into two compartments 16, 17 by a partition wall 18. The top and bote tom walls of the compartments are slotted longitudinally as indicated at 19, the slots being flared at the extremities ofthe' receptacle as shown.

' Application filed February 4,1919. Serial a is to be delivered into the Support ed thepanelil3 soas 'spec ficationsLa inat p f fif 31, i;

hang the recepta :15" is an upper carrier 7 plate, 20,;which extends longitudinally of tlre'receptacleand-is slotted at the ends as indicated "at 21, the ing with-the slots receptacle. 22 is supported; beneath ,the .receptacle} and provided with slots '19inthe bottom wall'of the receptacle. To-jprotectr-thereceptacle andiits contentsgfromthe weather as much as possible, thep'anel 13 is provided with a roof or cover 24, which overhangs thereceptacle. Y

The car device is mounted upon a suitable,

car 25 of any preferred structure and comprises a: vertical body '26, provided at its ends with integral angularly disposed parallel arms 27 provided attheir extremities slotted portions register: T 19m thetop wall of the A similarlower'carrier platewith keepers 28,- said keepers. being .pro-

vided with longitudinal slots 29f The-body 26 is suitably-braced and attached to a rodlike' supporting portion 30, having its ends shaped to engage upper and lower keepers 31 and I 32, whereby the train device may swing in and out of the car. keeper 31 is pivoted to the door frameso that it may be moved to permit ing of the train device into position. There is a set of upper and lower keepers 31, 32

on each side of the car door so that the body of the plac- Y h upp r V 26 maybe selectively pla ced'in engagement with either set toconform to the direction of travelof the car. i

In practice, the mail a is to be ,7 delivered from the car to the station and the mail sack Z2 to be takenup by the car without interfering with the movement of the latter. The sacks are provided with flexible members 33 capable of engaging the slots 29 of the keepers 28 and the slots 21 and 23' of the carrier plates. Thesack a which is to beqdelivered is thoseslots 29 of the keepers 28, which are at the rearmost point with respect to the direction of travel offthe car. In the illustration selected for the drawing the sack compartment 16 and the sack -b'is supported bythe carrier plates 21, 22 with flexible members passed through the slots. 19 and engaging the slots of the carrier plates. As the car approachesthe receptacle 15, the train device engaged with :T' s

by the partition wall 18, the arms 27 pass tion, the train device 26 is transferred to the other vside of the door. 1

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described an operative manner of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the forms of its use, what is claimed is 1. A mail transfer device comprising a train member provided with a body portion having integral angularly disposed carrier arms, a supporting member attached to said body portion throughout the length of the latter, retaining meanspivotally engaging the ends of said supporting member, whereby the train member may swing on a vertical axis, sack-engaging members on said arms extending transversely thereof, and means cooperating'with the train member for receiving mail matter from and delivering other mail matter to the same.

2. A mail transfer device comprising a body portion provided with angularly disposed carrier arms, a supporting portion attached thereto, sack engaging members attached to the extremitiesof-said arms and disposed transversely thereof and keepers in i which the endsof said supporting portion are journaled, one of said keepers being movable to permit disengagement and removal of said. supporting member.

3. A mail transfer device comprising a body portion provided with angularly disposed carrier arms, a supporting portion attached thereto, sack engaging members attached to the extremities of said arms and disposed transversely thereof and keepers in which the ends of said supporting portion are. journaled, one of said keepers being pivoted to permit of its disengagement with said supporting portion.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN Ewm GLASS. 

